Knowing Our experiences with the novel Neil Postman on why the novel is applicable to our lives Some historical background: Modernism, technology, governing social narratives, and bioethics Reading How this novel compares to other 20th-c. dystopias Sexuality divorced from reproduction The specter of Shakespeare and what books do for us What do they worship in…
In this episode, recorded in early May, Dan and Charles reflect on the first couple of months of disruption to academic lives, and otherwise, due to COVID-19. Listen to this episode here. For more on this topic, see our Christian Humanist Radio Network partners over at Sectarian Review for these two episodes: SR, Episode 146:…
At long last, another Book of Nature Episode (recorded in March just as COVID-19 was beginning to take hold and shape nearly everything) finds your hosts musing on a story with multiple threads, twists and turns – the story of DNA and human heredity. Enjoy! Click here for a direct link.
In this episode, your three intrepid Book of Naturists held forth on the subject of Thought – in the ideas surrounding the differences between and complementary natures of Abstract and Concrete thinking. This episode lurches between the ideas of Plato and Piaget, Kant and others – so sit down with a beverage of your choice…
In this latest episode of Book of Nature (Recorded in mid-December, 2018) the Book of Nature trio discuss Comets, the “dirty snowballs” that are our periodically-visiting Solar System Neighbors. Among our topics in this episode are: Comets as portents of doom, or as signs of blessings Our personal experiences with recent comets The orbital characteristics…
On November 26, 2018, NASA is expected to land its newest lander, known as Mars Insight – Insight stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. The name indicates some of the primary scientific objectives of this newest lander. Among the goals are studies of plate tectonics on Mars, transport of heat through…
In this episode, Charles Hackney hosts a discussion among the Book of Nature trio in which they explore the concept of artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence today represents an incredibly active research field in the view of some, and absolute terror in the view of others. While trying to skate on the boundary between this Scylla…
In this episode, the Book of Nature co-host Charles Hackney, and the Christian Feminist Podcast’s Victoria Reynolds Farmer and Sara Klooster tackle the film that arguably is Alfred Hitchcock’s best and most profoundly disturbing: Psycho. Regardless of whether one agrees that it is his best film, its influence on the genre of horror, and on…
In this episode, the Book of Nature guys tackle a movie that gave audiences nightmarish (yet comical) visions of flying cows – and gave birth in subsequent years to films starring whirlwinds full of sharks, ice, and bits of metal. That movie, dear listeners, is 1996’s Twister, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. In our discussion,…
In this episode from Summer, 2018, the Book of Nature guys tackle a subject that has been on many peoples’ minds for much of 2018 given events in Hawaii at Mt. Kilauea – the subject of volcanos and volcanic activity. To listen, click here: Episode 28: Volcanos Among the topics discussed in this episode are…
In this episode, recorded in May, 2018, the Book of Nature Hosts get their Trek on, and explore the whole Star Trek franchise, from The Original Series to Discovery, and all things in between. Enjoy geeking out with these three geeks! Listen here, at this link – enjoy!
In this episode (recorded this past spring) the Book of Nature trio explore the short science fiction story, “The Story of Your Life”, by Ted Chiang, and the recent film based upon the story, Arrival. Topics of our conversation included the science and psychology of language, the concept of time and memory, and other fun…
In this episode, the Book of Nature crew examines the question – possibly reinvigorated recently by the launch of Falcon Heavy, the next step en route to a heavy lift vehicle capable of Mars launches in the Space X arsenal – of whether we should first return to the Moon or set our sights somewhat…
In this episode, Dan and Todd, with the help of Sectarian Review’s Danny Anderson, take a peek at genetic editing, and in particular the CRISPR system, which is a hot topic in recent studies of genetics. The trio consider the implications of CRISPR’s efficiency and supposed ease of use on human beings for both repair…
On February 6, 2018, between 1:30pm and 4:30pm EST, SpaceX plans to launch its Falcon Heavy launch vehicle for the first time, after having successfully tested the rocket in a January 24 static engine test at Cape Canaveral. For those not familiar with SpaceX, it is the rocket company founded by Elon Musk (perhaps better known…